A bright and blowy night. The R.O. Steve Ives quickly cancelled the dinghies and then the squibs. At Portland Harbour there was a gust of 51 knots at lunchtime. Bad omen 1.
Norman turned up after I had launched the rubber dinghy so he strolled up to the moorings and I rowed into the teeth of a gale, OK strong wind.
Linda turned up and eventually Mark, so off we go. But disaster! we got the aft spring round the rudder. So I'm holding the boat on to the slipper rope between the piles while they unhook us. Bad omen 2.
Then its a quick run down the river and out into the bay. 22 gusting 33. High aspect ratio No. 2 no reef in the main.
We made a good start and beat La Salmo across the line but they got up wind and past us. Then on the down wind leg those mad fools put a kite up but we didn't. The following sea was rolling so L.S. was doing the cork screw of death and not getting away from us very much.
The next leg was a reach and we caught up with them then a beat back to the committee boat. On this leg we over took L.S. and we were tanking along in a fine manner right up until the No. 2 exploded. So I gathered the rags and hanked on a storm jib. We finished a shortened race minutes down after leading it :+(
I sailed N.C. across the bay then motor sailed on the main up the river home. we needed the sail as the engine would have been very slow into the rising wind.
The the Omens ! And remember its unlucky to be superstitious !
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